Identities
by Shironeki98
Summary: When Kazuto left the house, he never expected to come back. He started anew, under the name of Ken Kaneki. When he went back after losing everything, he never expected to be accepted. When he was trapped in the death game of Sword Art Online, he never expected to feel so...calm. He had lived and thrived in a world of pain. He would protect them this time. History wouldn't repeat.
1. Give me a hero v3

**Hey guys. I haven't seen a decent crossover between Tokyo Ghoul and Sword Art Online that has been updated recently in a long time, so here's my go at it. Slight AU where Kazuto ran away after finding out about his identity and got adopted(guilt and shame does wonders for rational thinking). Going by the new name of Ken Kaneki, he experienced the events that turned him into a ghoul, only earlier this time(when he was fourteen-ish). Note that this Kaneki will be the OEK version. So, the timeline is going to be pretty messed up. He'll still be in the beta obviously, but the actual SAO will be a bit tricky. Some characters will have their ages changed to fit this story, but I don't think there'll be any pairings(unless I get ideas). Welp, here I go. I accept any criticism, so go ahead. Let the games begin.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the warped version of canon in this story.**

Kirigaya Kazuto was an average person. He had a loving family, practiced kendo(despite not really liking it) and grew up in a nice household. When he was ten, that all changed. He had been curious about his abilities, leading to the(dumb) act of hacking the National Registry to see his own personal information. Kazuto then discovered, in one of the worst ways possible, that he was adopted. That his family wasn't actually his family. That his biological parents were dead before he could even get to know them. That his parents(aunt and uncle) had lied to him all this time. With betrayal coiling in his chest, he took a small bag containing some clothes, food, water, money and ran away. He knew that he was behaving irrationally, but the mere thought of going back to a house where he had lived, deceived since he could remember(and before) sent an intense wave of nausea through him. He ran until he couldn't run anymore, then continued at a snail's pace, never stopping or looking back. As night finally made its presence aware, he curled up on a nearby bench and after eating and drinking(being careful to ration), fell asleep.

He was woken up several hours later by a loud clap of thunder and raised his head to look at the sky. His onyx black eyes had dulled with sadness and he didn't look out of place when it started raining several minutes later. Frowning in dismay, he started running again(ignoring the pain in his stomach and legs) and managed to reach a train station after being drenched severely. Shivering, he boarded a train(he didn't see where he was going) and quickly found a seat before the train was filled with commuters and started wiping himself off. The long and tedious process of drying himself to the best of his ability without changing out of the damp clothes distracted Kazuto enough for him to forget the events of the day. As he finished up, the train came to a stop and he instinctively moved out onto the platform. Ignoring the odd looks he got from the various commuters, he stared at the name of the train station and mouthed a word.

"Tokyo?"

 **(Time skip: A few months later)**

Kirigaya Kazuto, no Ken Kaneki looked at his new house with a hint of nervousness. He had been adopted by a kind lady and his name(he had claimed he didn't have one) had been changed. Kazuto was still getting used to it(secretly he was regretting his actions), but he knew that it would help him forget the past. Forget his behavior, for it had sealed his fate and going back was something he couldn't do anymore. It had been too long. He was sure that his uncle and aunt would have forgotten him by then and his cousin would get over it soon. After all, if the two explained to her their biological relationship, he was sure she would forget him. It didn't matter. He had a fresh start. He would make the most of it.

 **(Time skip: Alternate ending.)**

He gently laid the body to the floor. Looking around at both dead allies and enemies, a sob threatened to break free from his throat. He didn't think that his actions would have gotten them killed. He knew he wasn't ready to lead. He knew being the One-Eyed King would lead to even more suffering and torment. Now, as he gazed upon the burning remains of the CCG and the countless corpses littering the dirt, he closed his eyes. A tear traced a path through the ash on his face as he wondered what he would do next. His own Quinx Squad had turned against him, he watched Mutsuki put a knife through Touka's eye and rage had caused him to strangle the life out of Mutsuki. The remaining two members had sought revenge and he had put them down as easily as breathing. A simple swing of his kagune had decapitated them, the surprised expressions on their faces had emphasized how quick he had been. Not thinking carefully(just like all those years ago), he had waged war against the CCG, every able ghoul with him stormed their headquarters as the Doves waited. It had been a massacre. Countless ghouls died before they could even reach the building, even more as they took it down. He had ignored the losses, sent more to bring down the remaining buildings, not wanting a single person in the CCG to survive. Over the course of a brutal week, they had lost over 90% of their forces before the final showdown began. Furuta had amassed all the remaining Doves and made one final, desperate stand, hoping that superior firepower would work against the horde.

It didn't.

The ones left were the most battle-hardened ones, the quickest, the strongest... a few hundred snipers couldn't do a thing if their targets could shrug bullets off or simply dodge them. Furuta and the others fought hard, yes, killing many as they pushed towards Kaneki, hoping that bringing down their symbol of hope would be enough to quash the tide.

He met them head-on, kakuja protecting him, only this time he could control the madness. One by one, they fell. As he licked Furuta's blood off his hand, the world was engulfed in fire. The government had vacated a large part of Tokyo and had carpet bombed the place with everything they had. The ghouls were tougher, but only the ones that could regenerate the fastest would have stood a chance of withstanding the blazing fury of everything short of a nuke being dropped on them. Their RC counts were way too low after the fight to even have the slightest bit of hope of surviving. In a sudden moment of clarity, hundreds of ghouls shielded Kaneki as he desperately fueled himself on both ghouls and humans in the hopes of getting his RC count to a high enough level.

Their sacrifices had saved him. Though, what was a leader without people to lead? Kaneki walked around the battlefield numbly, knowing that the authorities would assume there were no survivors, he took his time. Finally collapsing to his knees, he wept silently for the people he had lost. He knew that there was a better way. Revenge had been too intoxicating. Now, with the ghouls and CCG almost wiped out completely, he pondered his next course of action. The ghouls and CCG members who had not participated would not draw attention to themselves, after all, they were just remnants of an age he had ended.

He paused as he remembered how he had gotten here in the first place. If he hadn't ran away, none of this would have happened(but there would be another person who had to suffer in Kaneki's place). His home was gone. Everything he knew and loved was gone. He rose to his feet, swaying slightly and went to find some acceptable clothes. He had a journey to make.

Kirigaya Midori watched her daughter with a hint of sadness. It was Kazuto's birthday again, marking the tenth anniversary of his disappearance. The family had never been the same without him. Suguha had been devastated when she knew about her brother(cousin) running away and had broken down crying. She had sought refuge in her brother's room for days, curled up in a ball and sobbing quietly from time to time. They had eventually coaxed her out and the trio had searched for Kazuto high and low, even going to file a missing person's report, but to be met with no positive results. She had lost count of the number of nights she had stayed up late, hoping that Kazuto would return home, listening to the quiet sniffles of her daughter and berating herself for not telling him about his biological parents sooner. She still carried that guilt around in her heart. Suguha had recovered, she was now an active and cheerful girl who had blossomed into a pretty young adult. However, Midori could still see a hint of sadness in her eyes every time she gazed at old pictures when Kazuto was still around and whenever it was the anniversary of his disappearance. They had assumed him to be dead: no child could survive a few weeks, much less a year on his own. As she was brought out of her thoughts, she heard the doorbell ring. She and Suguha exchanged curious glances(they hadn't ordered anything) as they both strode towards the door.

She opened it and was greeted with a young male who looked to be in his early twenties, he wore a hesitant smile on his face and a simple black shirt accompanied by a pair of dark blue jeans. He held a briefcase loosely in one hand and was scratching his neck awkwardly as the two's gazes drilled into him. Midori examined him further, he had white hair(unusual for his age) and a slightly effeminate face. His eyes were a dull grey, almost black and held sadness(Just like Suguha) in them. Finishing up her analysis of the stranger, she asked the question that had been in her mind(and likely in her daughter's).

"Who are you?" she queried, noticing Suguha stepping backwards slightly and towards where her shinai was kept. At her words, an unknown emotion flashed in the stranger's eyes as he opened his mouth to reply.

"It's been too long... mom. I'm home now. I'm sorry for running..." the white-haired man began to answer her question, before Suguha ran back into the house and came back out brandishing a shinai. Kazuto(?) looked at the stance Suguha had adopted and something in his eyes hardened.

"You freak! Onii-chan is dead and you have the nerve to come pretending to be him and expect us to believe you?" Suguha screamed at Kazuto(?) and swung the shinai in an overhead blow, most likely aiming to concuss the stranger. Midori broke out of her daze and reached towards her daughter, as if trying to stop her from hitting the male. To both of their surprise, he merely lifted a hand and stopped the momentum of the swing with a little push. Sighing, he took a deep breath and spoke in a robotic tone.

"My name is Kirigaya Kazuto, born on 7th October 2008, I ran away when I was ten after finding out that I was living with my aunt, uncle and cousin and my biological parents are dead. I once saved Suguha from drowning in our pond. I grew bored of kendo and turned to the Internet, causing my grandfather to beat me and Suguha to stop him by promising to do so well in kendo that it would make up for me quitting..." he tilted his head slightly, watching the faces of his aunt and cousin pale rapidly before adding a quip to see if they would snap out of it.

"Is that enough information? Or do I have to talk about the time someone mistook me and Suguha for sisters when we were young..." his speech was cut off when Midori slapped him(and promptly regretted it as it felt like hitting iron) and Suguha let out a gut-wrenching sob. A small flame of anger grew in her and Kazuto shrank back from the furious gaze of his aunt.

"You ran away. We thought you were _dead._ Why didn't you come back? Don't you realize how much that hurt us?" Midori berated as her own tears welled up in her eyes and started trickling down her face. Suguha had dropped the shinai and was hugging Kazuto(hard) while Midori watched the confusion on his face be replaced by comprehension and...surprise?

"I thought that you all would have forgotten me, gone on with your lives. I'm not your actual son or brother after all..." Kazuto's words were like a punch to the gut. He thought that he wasn't important? That just because he wasn't actually part of their biological family, he would have been forgotten, discarded like yesterday's trash? As she watched Kazuto's face display his shame and regret, she sighed and enveloped him in a hug as well.

"Just because you aren't my actual son doesn't mean you're not one to me." she whispered into his ear and felt his body stiffen before it shuddered. She could sense the tears trickling down his cheeks as he wrapped his own arms around the two of them in a vice-grip.

 _He was home._

 **That's all I have for this chapter. Read, review and criticize. I know it seems awkward, but I needed to get the filler stuff out of the way first before I can throw myself into the actual story. The continuation of this story would require responses from you guys. Welp. For those who liked my other crossover, I should be updating it(Monsters? No. Humans) soon. I have plenty of ideas swirling around in this twisted mind of mine and I will write them down. See you on the flip side.**


	2. and I'll write you a tragedy v3

**Yo guys. I'm back after... slightly more than a week. Damn. Sorry if you guys have been waiting, but I've been quite busy recently. Lots of work and my examination results finally came back... I've been sleep-deprived. Not very nice to be running on 4h of sleep a day. Since June's closing in, I thought that I'd update this today(been toying with ideas) and my other story in the next few days(if possible).**

 **zoepeanut: Yep, that's the part I've been having trouble with. But I'm pretty sure I have a solution...**

 **Just-A-Bit-Odd: Nice to see you again! Thanks for looking at both my projects.**

 **flo463: Yeah, that story was one of my favourites as well. Shame it was abandoned. As for pairings... those will come later on.**

 **Welp, that's all. Thanks to all who favourited, followed and read my story. Here's another chapter. Read, review and let me know what you think.**

Kirigaya Suguha didn't know what to think of her situation.

As the tenth anniversary of her brother's(cousin's) disappearance came round, she was ready to finally let go and get some closure. After he had gone missing... she didn't know what to think. Secretly, she believed that it was her fault. That she hadn't tried hard enough to maintain their relationship after he had gotten absorbed in technology. The guilt she held weighed her down for months as she desperately tried to hold on to every fragment of her dear brother that she could remember. His belongings, pictures... She cried at night when she thought no one was awake, pleading softly to every entity she knew of to bring her brother home to them. To her. Nevertheless, she(and her parents) had slowly gave up on any hope of finding Kazuto. If he had ran away with nothing but the clothes on his back, he would have came back to them after hunger and thirst wore him down.

But he didn't.

The shock of losing her brother at such a young age(she was nine for goodness sake) had affected her severely. She had sunk into despair not long after making the conclusion that her brother wasn't coming back. She refused to eat, drink or even go out of the house. She had barricaded herself in her brother's room, curled into a ball on his bed and trying her best to _remember him._ It was only after her parents had forced her to eat and drink(she had collapsed from sheer exhaustion and woke up in the hospital) did she try to get over it. She tried counselling, but it did little to numb the pang in her chest every time she saw something that reminded her of him. She knew her parents weren't taking the trauma well either, so after a month or so, she pulled herself back together. _You have to be strong for them. They just lost one child. They can't lose another,_ she repeatedly reminded herself day after day.

Not surprisingly, she could mask her sadness with joy as the whole family recovered from their loss. After years, they had stopped searching, knowing deep in their hearts that it was impossible for Kazuto to have survived. It didn't make the pain any easier. She had thrown herself into schoolwork, trying her best to avoid dealing with her feelings for as long as possible. As the years went by, it got easier and easier to deal with the pain. By the time the tenth anniversary of his disappearance drew near, she had almost accepted that she had to let go.

Now, looking at her _not-dead_ brother sleeping on the couch(his old bed had been scrapped), she could see that the years had not been easy on him. His once black hair was now a startling _white_ , his onyx eyes had become a dull gray and his skin was almost as pale as his hair. He looked fragile, almost as if he would shatter if she hit him hard enough. She knew better. The years of kendo training had definitely helped her build muscle and the swing she had aimed at him was strong enough to fracture a grown-man's skull. She knew that she would regret it later(whether she killed or severely injured the person), but at that moment, all the anguish in her had welled up and she had _snapped._ To her surprise, the man had warded her heavy blow off with a simple _push_ from his hand to cancel out its momentum, then managed to short-circuit her brain with the revelation that her brother _wasn't_ dead. Suguha blushed slightly when she remembered how she had instinctively hugged him, both to reassure herself that he was real and to finally release the emotions that she had kept bottled up in her for a decade. It had been a tearful reunion, the bone-crushing hug that their father had bestowed on him later merely emphasized the fact. However, she had some suspicions about her "brother".

Firstly, his apathy. After a brief show of tears, he had quickly recovered and his face quickly reverted to a blank, emotionless mask. He had been rather polite in responding to questions, no matter how personal they had been and had not once showed what he was feeling(although his fingers twitched from time to time). For someone who, according to him, had been raised by an excellent woman and led a peaceful life, he had the odd skill of disguising his emotions better than _her,_ who had had definitely more practice than him. It just wasn't possible. Secondly, the briefcase. He had refused to set it down and it had stayed in his lap when he sat down. It looked rather light and she was rather curious of what exactly it contained. Kazuto had, apparently, came back to them to see if they still remembered him(she wanted to smack him) as he required a place to stay since his foster parent had passed away and his last friend had died of cancer(he had been tending to him). If he had nothing left, why did he carry the briefcase? Lastly, his appearance. Kendo had given her an edge in analyzing people to find their holes in their defense and it also applied to watching the changes in someone's movement. She immediately saw his black fingernails. Who painted their fingernails black? The weird part was that the fingernails were entirely black, no chipped or telltale signs of the paint being reapplied. It was almost as if his nails had just _turned_ black.

Suguha knew she was thinking irrationally, but her instincts still warned her to be wary. There was no concrete evidence that he was Kazuto(despite extensive, personal knowledge) as everything he had told them could have been, well, _extracted_ out of her brother. She shivered at the thought. Looking down at his sleeping face, her eyes strayed to the briefcase, now resting against the couch. She slowly reached out a hand and inched towards the briefcase. Dragging it softly back towards her, she sat down and started examining it. It looked plain enough, made of a silvery metal and a simple black handle. She knocked softly on the side of the briefcase and her eyebrows raised when, instead of the usual sound of clanging, an almost wet "clunk" sounded. As her hands strayed towards the switch to open the case, she paused to consider her next action.

This would be a breach of her brother(?)'s trust if she continued. Logically, she would most likely find items that held a special meaning to the currently dozing man. If he woke up while she was rifling through the contents... it would send the message that she _didn't trust him_. However, if her instincts were correct and her brother(?) was hiding something from the family, this would be the only chance for her to find out the truth. As she struggled with her indecision, a flicker of motion at the edge of her vision caught her attention. Turning her head slightly, she saw Kazuto shifting in his sleep. His relaxed posture had grown stiff, he was curling in on himself and his hands were gripping each other. Without warning, several cracks split the air. Her head snapping towards the source of the sound, she watched with morbid fascination as he curled his thumb round a finger and bent it until the knuckle popped, then moved on to the next. He appeared to be doing this unconsciously. As she continued watching, his fingers moved faster and each crack made her flinch. Luckily, her parents were asleep and the door to their bedroom was closed, for they would have came to investigate the bone-chilling noises. Slowly, Kazuto(?)'s lips formed words. He started murmuring in his sleep.

 **"What's 1000-7? Heh. It hurts. The centipede...it's in my head."**

Shivering, his incoherent words finally convinced her to open the case. As her hand pressed down on the button and the case opened, Kazuto's eyes snapped open behind her. As she pulled a glowing sword out of the case and stared at it, the fatigue in Kazuto's eyes vanished, replaced by cold anger. Swiftly yet silently, he pushed himself off the couch and padded softly towards his sister's exposed back. At that moment, Suguha could only wonder why her brother had a weird sword concealed in the briefcase. It glowed with a soft red light, pulsing and quivering, as if it was alive. It resembled a katana, but the hilt was smaller and the blade wasn't as curved. As she extended a finger to run it along the edge of the weapon, another ear-splitting crack, now right behind her, rang out. Slowly setting down the sword, she turned her head to be met with a very _awake_ male. As her eyes darted from the sword to his angry visage, she inched away from him, starting to panic. Who carried a sword around with them? Who carried a sword that seemed **alive** around with them? As she opened her mouth to call for help, her brother(?) blurred, moving in front of her and clamping a gloved hand on her mouth.

 _"How dare you."_ the monster cloaked in human flesh snarled at her. Icy tendrils wrapped round her heart as she had the sinking feeling she had made a terrible mistake. She had just angered him, no, she had just angered _it._ The first individual she had met that could parry the strongest blow she had ever mustered with a lazy push of a hand. The individual who, by the words he had uttered, was most likely unstable at the very least, clinically insane at the very worst. She punched him in the ribs frantically, aiming to wind it long enough for escape to be possible. Each blow felt like she was smashing her hands against an iron wall. She cursed mentally as spikes of pain flooded her nerves and her assault finally let up when she felt her knuckles split.

Eyes widening, she struggled desperately, a small part of her mind noting that the hand over her mouth felt rough and hard, as if made out of leather. Then again, it could just be the glove. She looked, terrified, at how his mouth had curled into a twisted parody of a smile and how his eyes had frozen over and gained a crazed edge to them. Feeling, more than seeing it, Suguha knew the person currently holding her down had retrieved his sword. Holding it in a loose grip with his free hand, he raised it to aim at her eye. She strained even harder as the blade moved closer to exposed flesh, trying her best to get free before she was injured, or worse, killed. As the tip of the blade finally touched her eye, she gave up and braced herself for the flare of pain that would soon follow.

She waited.

Blood splattered onto the floor as the blade sunk into soft flesh.

There was silence.

 **That's all I have for this chapter. I'm practically falling asleep as I'm typing this. I've been having times where I just pass out due to fatigue. Anyway, I'll go get some more sleep after this. Read, comment and criticize. Once again, thanks to anyone who has read, favourited, followed or reviewed this story. I appreciate that you guys take the time to sit down and look at my work. See ya next time!**


	3. Explanations v3

**Now then, here's the next part of this story. I haven't been updating in… almost a month by now. Huh. I know that I should probably be updating my other story first, but I want to get all the boring stuff in this story out of the way before I return to the other one. I'll be alternating stories after this chapter and I hope to update once every two weeks. Welp. Let's see how that goes.**

 **Flo463: Thanks!**

 **Zoepeanut: :)**

 **Now then. Read, review and tell me if you like the story. I appreciate all criticism.**

Kirigaya Suguha thought she was going to die.

She knew, instinctively that the last sight she was going to see would be her not-brother stabbing an odd sword at her, aiming for her eye. She knew that his mismatched set of eyes would be permanently etched in her mind.

So when all she felt was a slight stab of pain along her temple, she opened her eyes to see exactly why Kazuto(?) hadn't finished her off. To her surprise and concern, it looked like it had been him that had deflected the blade before it could create a fatal wound. With his own hand. He was staring at the hand with a twisted look in his eyes(which she noted had become monochromatic again) and the blood dripping onto her clothes. Slowly shifting the hand(she grimaced when the flesh tore apart as he removed it from the weapon), he pulled it from it's position in one swift movement.

As he seemed distracted, Suguha decided that it would be best for her to escape. She wouldn't get a second chance. Not bothering to go for the discarded sword(it was currently impaled in a wall), she lashed out with a fist at his face. The impact caused his head to jerk back and momentarily stunned him. Suguha promptly cursed as she tried to run away. Her hand throbbed and she was quite certain she had sprained something. As she made it to the door, Suguha cast a glance backward at where she had last seen Kazuto(?). Only, he wasn't there. He had somehow kept up with her quick movements _and_ kept quiet enough so that she couldn't hear her movements. A hand closed around her wrist and stopped her in her tracks. Straining frantically as panic set in(yet again), she knew that she wouldn't be able to escape the monster's grasp without any form of self-inflicted harm. Her gaze snapped to his eyes and the emotions in them caused her to pause in her movements.

They weren't empty of life like how they had been when he was gazing into space nor the ones filled with a maniacal gleam that caused her instincts to scream at her to run. Right now, they shone with remorse and… was that _fear_? When she started to relax, Kazuto(?) gave her an apologetic look before removing his hand. She was caught in a precarious situation. Every fiber of her being concerned with self-preservation was currently causing alarms to ring in her head, but a small part of her brain told her to stop and obtain an explanation. Any remaining form of tension slowly ebbed out of her body and she cast a questioning look at the man in front of her. While it was true that his initial reflex to seeing her expose one of his (not so well-kept)secrets was to overpower and kill her, his actions afterwards implied that something was not right. He had also come out of the encounter worse off(she grimaced when she remembered how his hand looked like torn apart).

Seeing that she was going to listen to him, Kaneki immediately bowed his head as a form of apology.

"I'm sorry for trying to kill you and actually harming you. I shouldn't have done that."

"While it isn't alright that you tried to kill me, you stopped yourself. So, am I going to get some answers out of this or am I supposed to report you to the police?" Kaneki flinched at that one.

"Well… I was hoping to keep this from you and the rest of the family, I guess that it would be better to have at least one person who knows what I am."

Suguha gave him a curious look. In response, Kaneki raised his currently mutilated hand and concentrated. The familiar itching he associated with his kakugan showing occurred, along with the feeling of flesh and bone stitching itself back together. As the wound in his hand healed in a matter of seconds, he smirked inwardly at the almost childlike look of wonder on his sister's face.

"When I was fifteen, I went on a date with a purple-haired lady who I had secretly been crushing on for quite some time. To my horror, she revealed herself to be a ghoul." Kaneki paused to check that his words were registering with Suguha, before continuing with his story.

"See, she was going to eat me. She ended up impaling me through the kidney and I was going to die. However, when she closed in for the kill, steel beams fell on her. They crushed her and I was left lying on the ground not too far away, bleeding out. I thought I was going to die." Kaneki stopped to catch his breath, the memories playing out in his head in cinematic sequence.

"I woke up to find out that her kidney had been implanted in me to save my life. What I didn't know, however, was that my doctor had secretly implanted her kakuhou in me as well. In case you want to know, a kakuhou is the predatory organ of a ghoul." at this point, Suguha's eyes lit up with understanding.

"That means…"

"Yes."

Suguha was conflicted. On one hand, it would explain why Kazuto had come in possession of that sword and his weird regenerative abilities. On the other hand, however, it didn't explain his… other changes. When she tried to voice her questions, Kazuto shook his head before they could even leave her mouth, smiling sadly as he looked down on his hands.

"Some things are best kept secret. Let's just say that what I've been through… it was like fighting a war."

Feeling confused at the peculiar phrasing of his words, Suguha sighed, knowing that he didn't want to divulge more than what he had already shared with her.

"I understand."

"Good. Make sure to keep this a secret."

After the rather curt dismissal of her, her brother stood up, brushing off imaginary dust before moving to return to the couch he had been dozing on(also making sure to shove his quinque back into his briefcase). However, before he could lie down on the couch, Kaneki felt his sister's(cousin's) hand wrap around his wrist, just like how he had gripped her previously. Looking back curiously, Kaneki tilted his head at the abashed look on Suguha's face as she had an internal debate on whether to follow through with her original idea.

"You can share my bed. You don't seem rather comfortable on the couch and my bed's large enough for two people." Kaneki's thought processes screeched to a halt at her words. Despite himself, he felt the warmth of a blush coating his face as the more… dirty implications of his sister's words flooded through his head. Shaking it slightly to banish the images, he nodded slightly, hoping that the darkness had been enough to hide his embarrassment(it hadn't been. Suguha had also registered the reason why).

The siblings moved quietly, quickly reaching her room without their parents waking up. Awkwardly, both clambered into the bed(still trying to be silent) and shifted around, trying to reach a position that would not be too...intimate. As they both nestled in their respective places on the bed(they were facing back-to-back), Kaneki began to mentally recount the events of the evening.

He had been stuck in one of his nightmares again, revisiting the time he had spent with Jason, or rather, Yamori. With the recent demise of his friends(family), gruesome scenes had begun playing out in his head(again). When he had woken up after Jason had stabbed another needle into his eye, it was to his sister discovering his quinque. Still trying to shake off the effects of the nightmare, his body had reacted on instinct, registering her as an enemy to be killed.

It went to show how deep his mental scars were. To wake up and immediately try to kill whoever had been unlucky enough to be near him… Kaneki chuckled cynically, feeling the presences in his mind doing so as well. Closing his eyes, he tried to drift back to sleep, hoping against hope that no night terrors would haunt him this time.

Just before he dozed off, he noted absentmindedly how warm his sister felt.

 **Time skip**

As the shrill ringing of an alarm clock broke the silence, Kaneki's eyes fluttered open lazily. Stretching a little(he was still half-asleep), he groaned. Curling up slightly, trying to enjoy the warmth of the bed he was sleeping on(when was the last time he had a bed?), he noticed a weight pressing down on him. Muttering slightly, he tried to pry the weight away from him, only for it to cling on tighter. Finally opening his eyes fully, he turned his head to try and figure out what the presence was…

Only to be met by the sleeping visage of his sister. Slowly looking down, he saw that her hands were currently wrapped around his waist and he was being treated like an oversized toy. Panicking slightly, he tried to wriggle out of the iron grasp _without_ waking his sister up(he could easily do it with his strength, but that was a little...brutal), only to find that her grip increased with every little movement he made. Sighing softly in frustration, he slumped, defeated for the time being. Wondering why the alarm clock hadn't woken Suguha up(she wasn't a heavy sleeper, last time he checked), he closed his eyes again, trying to enjoy the warmth she radiated while it lasted. It was rare that the former One-Eyed King had any time to rest. Every day had been a constant fight for survival, the load on his shoulders increasing with every ghoul lost, yet having to shrug them off and continue his onslaught on the CCG, blinded by his revenge.

So many lives had been pointlessly lost.

So, being able to just relax in a warm bed without a care in the world was one of the best days he had ever since he had became a half-ghoul.

There was no way this could go wrong right?

Right?

"Suguha, wake up! It's time for you to prepare to go to school, why are you still…" the slightly frustrated sound of Kirigaya Midori shattered any illusions he had of "nothing going wrong" as his mom(aunt) opened the door to the room they were currently in, stopping in her tracks when she took in the sight before her. Mother and son were locked in an awkward stare as the two currently awake individuals were trying their best to figure out what to say and do. As the awkward silence progressed, Kaneki opened his mouth in a half-hearted attempt to defuse the situation.

"This isn't what it looks like?" any further attempt to defend himself was stopped when Suguha finally stirred and woke up. Finally letting go of Kaneki(and causing him to fall off the bed), she rubbed her eyes groggily while looking at her mom. Then her brother. As her brain finally booted up and she began to process the situation, Suguha's face started turning a deep crimson. As her now amused mother walked out of the room, Suguha met the gaze of her brother. Seeing the sheepish look on his face, she finally reacted.

A scream pierced through the air as Kaneki flew out of the room, slamming into a wall(which conveniently stopped him from continuing on his path). Kirigaya Midori looked back and started chuckling at the deadpan look on his face before leaving him crumpled on the floor.

It was good to have him back.

 **That's the end of this chapter. I'm trying a different approach in this one, going to build up his relationship with Suguha before tossing him into SAO. Anyways, could you guys provide some suggestions for me? Should I toss him into the beta, then SAO, or make him a "noob"? Let me know! See ya guys… 2 weeks from now I hope.**


	4. Continuation v3

**Hey guys. I've noticed that this story doesn't seem to be liked by as many people as my other one, but I'd rather not discontinue this. When I start something, I'll end it. I've been having yet another rough week, so excuse me if I sound a bit snappish right now. Nothing goes right in the world. Being both happy and sad at the same time has made me a little unbalanced.**

 **Zoepeanut: Thanks for the advice.**

 **Flo463: Thanks to you as well. P.S, there's a reason Suguha found out he's a ghoul.**

 **Guest: Longest comment I've had so far. Wish I knew who you were. Nice plans for the story. I'm still calling him Kaneki as he's adjusting back to a name that he hasn't heard or thought about in ten years. The relationships will be tricky, but I think that I'll implement a harem aspect if I can pull it off.**

 **Anyways, thanks for the comments. Read, review and I hope you enjoy this new chapter. May it be up to your expectations.**

After the rather...mortifying experience he had that morning(the kick surprised him), Kaneki decided that he would take a break for the rest of the day. Hopefully. His parents had both left for work, frantically apologizing and promising to visit again sometime soon(although he didn't count on it). The empty household was silent except for the whirring of a fan and Kaneki's fingers typing away on the laptop he had borrowed, pausing from time to time to rest. After being in another region for ten years, he had a lot of catching up to do in order to get back on track. Smiling wanely, he noted the technological advancements were quite different compared to those in Tokyo. With the constant presence of ghouls in Tokyo, the government had invested in ways to _kill_ them despite the fact that there were most likely other more _peaceful_ ways of coexisting with ghouls(Kaneki could already think of three). In Saitama however(technically in the rest of Japan), technology had gone on to improve, of all things, video games. A far cry from the computer games that he used to play while he was younger, humanity was advancing into the virtual realm in order to create worldwide servers capable of hosting thousands of players at once(he wondered how a server crash would look like).

The genius Kayaba Akihiko had just finished developing the first truly immersive headset, dubbed the "NerveGear". Relying on intercepting the commands in the brain before they could get to the rest of the body, it was claimed to be able provide an experience so real, it was almost reality. The thought made him chuckle bitterly. People would rather experience reality in game than face the rest of the world. Said something about the mentality of the majority. Browsing through the net was still one of the most efficient ways to pick up new information though. Idly, he skimmed through an article about some beta test for a new VR game, not really caring about it as the chances of getting into the beta was really, really slim. And if there was one thing Kaneki was lacking, it was luck. He could draw a timeline of all the occasions in which his misfortune had cost him something(humanity, sanity, family etc.). Although he did meet some incredible people along the way. People that died under his command. People who died fighting against him. People who didn't do anything to deserve his vengeful judgement. Shaking his head to dislodge the memories haunting him, he could feel the scars on his body tingle, as if in response. It took a colossal effort to create those scars and force them to remain despite his almost godlike regeneration speed gained from his experiences. At this point in time...he didn't really know whether he was human anymore. Or rather, half-ghoul anymore. He felt his eyes itch. Rubbing them gently, his fingers came away with blood stains.

Cursing slightly at his misfortune, he groaned at the feeling of his eyes tearing themselves apart and rapidly growing at the same time. He had often overexerted his regenerative abilities and they were definitely taking their toll on him. At least he wouldn't have much of a chance to aggravate his condition anymore. Kaneki didn't know whether to be happy or sad about that. Glancing at his fingernails, Kaneki wondered if there was a way for him to get rid of the black fingernails. While it was definitely better than having his kagune grow in place of his hands after being cut off so many times(it took him ages to figure out how to make them regenerate the right way), the black fingernails stook out like a, no pun intended, sore thumb when in a crowd. People would either assume that he was an "emo" or just stay at a distance away from him. Although his gloves were always a solution for him, they too stuck out and his sister had just caused him to damage one of them. Kaneki's sewing skills were nothing to be laughed at _but_ he would have to go out to find supplies to repair his gloves and that included more unnecessary human interaction.

Looking back at the laptop in his lap, he was startled to see that it was turned off. He had spaced out again. Shifting his gaze to the wall-mounted clock, Kaneki noted that it was nearly three in the afternoon. Gathering data had taken up a good part of his first day back...home? Depositing the laptop on the table nearby, he walked to the bathroom to see if his appearance was presentable enough to go out. Kaneki felt that it was best to pay a visit to his cousin...sister...and see how she was doing at school. Staring at himself in the mirror, he pictured the different visages he once wore.

There was the young him, still smiling and laughing.

There was him after the surgery, eyes haunted by what he saw, yet still smiling brightly.

There was him after Jason, eyes turned a dull grey and once raven-black hair a pure white.

There was Haise Sasaki, always displaying a fake smile, his hair a mix of black and white.

There was the Black Reaper, now using a set of thin glasses, hair completely black, expression betraying his bloodlust.

And now, it was the face staring back at him in the mirror. Eyes dull and haunted, a thin smile on his face and snow-like hair.

Wincing at the cracks webbing out from his eyes, he massaged them, causing skin to knit back together. Pulling out the medical eyepatch he had bought along the journey from Tokyo, he slipped it over his kakugan, already preparing excuses for the overly curious. He had folded his coat up and placed it on the couch, preferring a simple black shirt and long jeans that concealed his skin-tight battle suit in case of emergencies. The briefcase containing Yukimura ⅓ and his mask was locked and next to his coat(he wouldn't want anyone else to find out his secret). He wouldn't need the quinque(it would definitely cause more harm than good) and if necessary, he could fight. As a last resort, he could use his kagune despite all the reasons to keep it secret from the public.

Better than being killed because he had to hold back in a fight.

Adjusting the eyepatch, he smiled briefly before turning and exiting the bathroom. Writing a note in case his parents arrived back home before he did, Kaneki left the house. He wore the one remaining glove, the uncovered hand situated in his pocket to avoid people staring(despite all he had been through, Kaneki was still as socially awkward as ever). Keeping his pace quick, he made a beeline for the address of Suguha's school(which their mom had helpfully provided with a wink, of all things), assuming that he would be able to get there faster than his sister could leave the school. After that...well he would just go with the flow and play it by ear. Experience dictated that a well thought out plan wasn't the best idea in pretty much everything unless you were fighting against a much weaker enemy, but even then you had to be cautious. Kaneki had seen firsthand how many plans were reduced to dust the moment a new variable entered the scene. Enough said on that subject.

As if waiting for Kaneki to come out of his musings, fate decided to pull a prank on him. As he regained his awareness of the surroundings, Kaneki promptly slammed his face into a well-placed streetlight.

Falling back onto the ground, he inwardly facepalmed at his stupidity, trying his best to ignore the concerned looks directed at him from pretty much every passer-by that saw his little incident with the streetlight. Quickly getting to his feet, Kaneki continued briskly to Suguha's school, wondering if her day had been any worse than his.

Her day had been one of the worst ones she had ever experienced.

Starting off the day with a bang was the fact that she had woken up with Kazuto pretty much trapped in her embrace. In a blind panic, she had immediately kicked him out of her room and rushed all her morning preparations in order to avoid as much contact with him as possible before rushing to school and arriving late. Making matters worse was that her instability that day made it pretty much impossible to focus during lessons as thoughts related to her newly returned brother practically invaded her mind for the rest of the day. Her most common expression today was "embarrassed anger". She ignored all queries from her friends and teachers, brushing them off with excuses until they were bored/convinced enough to leave her alone.

Heaving a sigh of relief as the last lesson of the day ended and the teacher walked out of the classroom, she made to pack her things before she could be ambushed by her group of friends(she knew they were curious about why she was blushing so frequently, yet they were waiting till they had an opportunity to "interrogate" her properly. Scary~) As she slung her bag onto a shoulder, the pressure of someone flinging themself onto her back caused her to stumble forward briefly, before regaining her balance and turning back to look at the perpetrator with annoyance. Face softening slightly as the smiling visage of one of her closer friends, Hana(Small sized, brown hair and light blue eyes) met her gaze. Grinning cheekily, the girl poked her cheek while trying her best to stay on Suguha's back, somehow asking her a question at the same time(Suguha admired her ability to multitask).

"Suguha-chan~what's gotten you so confused today neh?"

"Nothing in particular."

"Did you get yourself a boyfriend? It's about time for that." Suguha's calm composure shattered to pieces as she whirled around to give another friend, Akari(Dark red hair, slightly muscular and having a pair of light brown eyes), a betrayed look. He chuckled nervously while withering under her gaze, hands held out in front of him as if to defend himself.

"Why would I get myself a boyfriend? They're wastes of time." Akari mimed getting stabbed after her curt dismissal, still grinning despite his actions. The other two more mature members of their little group, Shiori(Long black hair, tall, soft-spoken, leaf-green eyes) and Hinami(Brown hair tied into a ponytail, of average length, dark brown eyes) watched their antics with amusement, shaking their heads slightly. The group made their way to the kendo club for after-school activities, conversing and taking turns to poke fun at Suguha's attitude throughout the day(which got some interesting reactions from her). When they finally reached the dojo, the usual sound of shinai meeting each other was absent, causing them to stop in their tracks. While the dojo was not filled with the usual sounds, it was now abuzz with whispers and comments.

Walking up to where the crowd was centered around, the group pushed through it(earning many complaints) and was met with the mats on which they spared. Usually, two heavily armoured individuals would duke it out on the grounds, only stopping when one was hit. Now, there were still two individuals, but they were not clad in the usual attire of kendo players. One was unmistakably the captain of their team, a rather short-tempered person of the name Rio, swinging her shinai in a few practice swings(though an experienced person would be able to tell there was actual force behind the swings) and the other was…

Suguha groaned and buried her face in her hands at the same time, earning looks of bewilderment from her friends. _Of all people, why did it have to be Kazuto?_ Wishing there was a way to end the match before it began, she was a little too late in restraining either her brother or her captain as the match began with a loud battle cry from Rio. She swung her blade in an overhead arc, not even hesitating to aim for Kazuto's skull, seemingly ready to injure(maybe permanently) her opponent in order to get the fight over and done with. As the crowd shouted various different versions of warnings for Kazuto to react or resign, Suguha was struck by how similar the scene was to their first meeting after ten years.

 _She raised her blade, aiming to fracture the man's skull or even kill him. The then unknown man looked up with boredom, then raised a hand and-_

Snapping out of her thoughts, she returned her attention to the battle just in time to see Kazuto repeat the exact same move counter the attack. Only this time, the push seemed more forceful as Rio immediately stumbled after her momentum was cancelled out. Only just realizing it, Suguha's anger skyrocketed as she noticed the _lack of a shinai_ in her brother's grasp. Judging from the deep intakes of breath from her friends, they had just noticed it as well. Suguha was too furious too care. She knew that Kazuto was a _ghoul_ (of all things), but now he was just _showing off_. Rolling her eyes and muttering curses under her breath, she turned her attention back to the fight sorry, one-sided beatdown, not missing the accusing stares that came from both Akari and Hinami. As she now watched with barely concealed boredom, her brother smiled widely, an action that caused most of the crowd to instinctively take a step backwards in caution(Rio happened to be caught in the full blast of the "attack", nearly tripping over her own feet). Suguha's temper was soon reaching her breaking point(unknown to her, her face had turned an interesting shade of purple), wanting to do nothing more than dragging her brother out of the scene he had(most likely) voluntarily caused.

"Kazuto...JUST FINISH IT ALREADY! This is mortifying to watch!" Suguha cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled above the clamour of the crowd, drawing even more attention to herself. Kazuto, as if confused, turned around in the middle of deflecting another hit, giving her a deadpan look before shrugging his shoulders. Clearly taking her words into consideration, he hopped off the ground, a foot catching the shinai and breaking it cleanly into half while the other one jabbed into the throat of his opponent. Wincing at the sight, Suguha sniggered slightly at the looks of horror on pretty much everyone's faces at their captain effortlessly taken down without a weapon. Kazuto wore a blank expression, walking to the prone form of Rio while tilting his head to one side and tapping his ear. Suguha was confused at the act, making a mental note to ask him about it-

 _Her brother, younger yet with the same expression on his face. Performing the same action, only this time there was a red centipede crawling out of his ear and dropping softly to the floor-_

Snapping out of the vision, she shivered at the completely random, gruesome image that had invaded her thoughts. Was that...never mind. As her brother completed his short walk to his opponent, he crouched down and extended a hand, looking at her expectantly. Rio hesitated slightly, before scoffing and accepting the help with a slight flush on her face. As Kazuto brought her to her feet(effortlessly), a thunderous round of applause sounded from pretty much everyone. Smiling despite herself, Suguha shook her head at her brother's antics as he made his way to her. When the siblings stood face-to-face, faces a few inches away from each other, Kazuto scratched his head sheepishly, offering her an apologetic look. Suguha gave him a wide grin, causing him to relax and drop his guard almost immediately…

Creating an opportunity for Suguha to grab him by an ear and pull it harshly, kicking out his legs at the same time. As Kazuto smashed face first into the ground, the crowd, once again, took a cautious step back.

 _~Scary~_

 **That's all for this chapter. I've been trying to set up a plausible background story, add some details etc. so that the story doesn't seem overly rushed. Details are very important to me. Now, I might write some other topics in the future(most likely TG and another series), but those will remain one-shots until I discontinue/end these two fics. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you for the support. Good day.**


	5. REady? v2

**Sup people. I'm back. Now, as I'm writing this, I know that this will be out later than usual, so um… sorry for that. I haven't been able to write in three days. Usually I'd start writing this on Tuesday, but I've been working on a one-shot that I plan on releasing soon. Anyways, I love that there are people that like this story and I will definitely not stop it. A project is only complete when, well, it's complete after all. I don't know if the biweekly update schedule will change(school might decide to kick me in the ass), but it may change once we hit mid-September. I'll make sure to notify in both my "author's notes" if the schedule will change. Nevertheless, let's proceed.**

 **Kuchiki Erza: When one cannot express something through words, it often bleeds through via actions.**

 **Flo463: I was already thinking of that, but I'll make sure not to make Kirito here too OP. For example, he'll have...limiters. You'll see! I won't give up though. :P**

 **FireFox614: I don't mind such criticism but try to keep the flaming down while talking to others. They might not appreciate it. Now, that random scene was something I threw in because I felt like I'd want this story to take the meaning of willpower to what is displayed in SAO. As for Suguha's character, well, I can't say that I will rule her out as a love interest, but she's not so poorly written. If you dislike the usual version of her, try fan-written ones. SaintInfernalNeos is one of my favourites. Maybe you'll understand, maybe you won't.**

 **That settled, onwards with the story!**

 **I do not own anything but certain plot elements and some OCs**

After the dust had cleared, Kaneki looked up from his position on the floor, both exasperated by his sister's actions and feeling a faint sense of nostalgia from them as well. Honestly? She reminded him a little too much of Touka. Not that he minded(a bit of familiarity in his life was appreciated) but it brought up too many bad memories.

 _Watching the person he once mentored amongst others drive a dagger into his Touka's eye, making sure to dig so deep that it somehow pierced through her entire head. Watching the smile on Touka's face freeze as the emotions he always enjoyed watching dancing in her eyes disappear, replaced by the glazed look he saw one too many times in the mirror after he had finished Yamori._

 _Watching, this time the rest of the small group he had come to associate with family try to stop him from taking down the corruption the plagued Tokyo, watching them fall one by one, sometimes before they could even anticipate it._

 _Watching himself order more of his people to attack the CCG, pretending that the death toll didn't hurt him. Pretended that every time he saw a person he cared about leave to fight and never come back didn't kill him inside._

 _Standing on top of the still burning bodies of the remnants of his enemies and allies, face cast towards the heavens and wishing that the fire would consume him like it had consumed everything he once knew._

A knock to the top of his head brought his attention back to the present. Raising his gaze from where it had been(he had stared at the floor long enough to appreciate its design), he saw the concerned gaze of a guy with hair the colour of fresh spider lilies roses standing beside his fuming sister. Quirking an eyebrow at the oddity, the guy's frown quickly melted and formed a smile. He stretched a hand towards Kaneki, wanting to help him up when Kaneki rolled his eyes and kicked upwards, landing on his feet almost effortlessly. Smirking at the various looks of bewilderment he detected whenever his eyes met someone else's, he turned his gaze back to the one who had shook him from his internal monologue.

"Sorry bout that, but you've been on the floor for a few minutes. I was wondering if Suguha here had knocked you unconscious or something. Name's Akari." the boy scratched his chin sheepishly, causing a small snort to escape Kaneki at the statement.

Brushing himself off and quickly hiding the ungloved hand, he extended the other one towards Akari, a polite smile now displayed. "It takes more than that to injure me. My name's Kan...Kazuto, as you probably heard from my sis here just now." Chastening himself for the accidental slip up, he ignored the glare sent his way. He would need to remember to answer to his new(old) name instead of the one he had gotten so used to after he had run away. Slipping into his "Haise Sasaki" persona, he tried to act as friendly as possible, which seemed to work as Akari quickly grasped his hand and gave it a firm shake. As he returned his hand to his side, his instincts screamed for him to move as he felt something or someone behind him pounce, judging from the rush of air. As the small body whistled through the air he had just occupied, he reacted immediately, removing the concealed hand from his pocket and catching the person with two hands. Staring down at the mouse-like girl that he had just saved from a painful fall, he gave her a pat on the head and let her down.

The girl flushed, then giggled softly. "Sugu-chan, can I keep him?"

Kaneki didn't think that his sister could get flustered but the interesting colour her face was turning stated otherwise. Absentmindedly wishing that he had a bucket of popcorn, he watched his sister grab her friend(?) in what seemed to be a chokehold and lifted her off the ground. Legs kicking feebly, the girl squirmed before shuddering dramatically and going limp, causing Suguha to drop her and sigh in exasperation.

"Hana, Kazuto's my brother. You can't just decide to adopt him even if he acts like a lost puppy." Kaneki could feel his self-esteem drop with that statement. _Lost puppy?_ Ouch. The boy called Akari sniggered at his downcast expression, patting him on the back as if to comfort him. Quickly regaining his composure, he turned to his sister(who seemed to have finally calmed down) and raised an eyebrow, questioning her actions.

"These bunch of idiots are my friends. The joker over here is Hana, you've already met Akari and those two over there are Shiori and Hinami. As for why we're here, well, we're supposed to have club activities. Unfortunately, _someone_ had to show off and beat our captain without a shinai. Not sure if that's cheating though."

Drawing circles on his palm with his thumb, Kaneki gave a sheepish smile and turned to the other two members of his sister's group that he hadn't greeted yet. Scanning them with a cursory glance, he froze when he saw Hinami. If you ignored the coincidence of their names being identical, she looked like she could pass for an older version of his now deceased adopted sister. Unconsciously, his ungloved hand curled slightly as he tried not to crack a finger. It wouldn't be healthy for those watching. Unfortunately, the mere sight of a person looking like one he had sent to her death wasn't helping to keep his composure.

 _Eyes once full of life and sparkling with adoration were devoid of the spark that he saw in those that still continued fighting. Body filled with bullet wounds and kagune still wrapped around her, the corpse was leaning against a destroyed wall. Eyes straying from the gruesome sight, he found a quinque anchoring her leg to the ground. Pulling it out with close to no effort, he lifted up the small body, kagune snaking out from behind him in preparation for the fights ahead. As he turned the corner, he found an armed team reloading their rifles casually, grinning broadly._

 _One was carrying a quinque identical to the one he had found in her._

 _They turned their heads to the sounds of his feet padding across the floor, hastily fitting in magazines and firing at him. To their horror, his kagune moved quicker. Bullets clattered to the floor, the rare one that managed to get through his defense merely nicking his skin. Feeling his temper flaring, he glared at the squad, kakugan flaring in response._

 _There would be no survivors this time._

He recoiled back as a hand reached for him, a guttural scream tearing its way out of his throat. As the clamour that had been presence throughout his visit to the dojo ceased in an instance, he hastily checked to feel whether his eyepatch was still present. Finding it secured, he barely spared his sister a glance before propelling himself out of the dojo, not even bothering to hide his augmented skills as he stretched his abilities to the point that his eye had started its usual change, but made sure to keep it as normal as possible. Dodging round the students, going so far as to kick off the ground and run along a wall for a short period of time, he raced out of the school, ignoring any shouts he heard behind him. After checking for the presence of anyone who had(somehow) caught up to him despite his speed, he ducked into an alley and slumped against a wall, shivering violently.

A sob escaped his throat as he wrapped his hands around his head, squeezing as hard as he could, trying to block out the sudden uprise of voices and screams in his head.

He had killed everyone he once knew. Those who he cared about, those who he fought against. And now, a single image would ruin his mental state in an instance. Why was he still alive? Why did he think that he could start fresh? No one ever stayed long enough.

What made this any different?

* * *

The awkward silence after her brother vacated the premises made Suguha antsy. Not only was her friends staring at her(as though she could do something), but even Rio was giving her a questioning look.

"What was that about?" the question was asked simultaneously by both Hinami and Rio at the same time. Resisting the urge to adjust her hair(an unhealthy coping mechanism, but she guessed that Kazuto had more), she shrugged and made her way out of the dojo, ignoring the small entourage that followed her. Despite how vile it sounded, she wasn't all that worried about Kazuto. Yes, he did just have a mental breakdown, but the last time he woke up from a nightmare, he tried to kill the nearest person. It was definitely progress. Finally exiting the school, she looked around, wondering where he could have vanished to.

"Kirigaya, we should split up. It would prove to be more efficient in finding the location of your brother." Rio voiced a suggestion, which was, to their surprise, immediately agreed to.

"Yeah. Umm, if anyone finds him before I do… could you contact me first? Kazuto's been through a lot, I don't want him to react violently." Suguha didn't wait for the group to respond before darting off in a random direction, presumably to look for her brother. The group shared a glance, a silent message passing between them before they also split up to look for the white-haired boy from earlier.

* * *

Kaneki only looked up when footsteps started drawing nearer to him. He had finished his episode of self-loathing about ten minutes ago and had been sitting in the alley and wondering how he was supposed to go back without explaining himself truthfully. Hoping that the person that was coming close to discovering him was a passer-by(many of those had given him odd looks but steered clear) or his sister. Of all the people that could find him, his sister would be the best case scenario. Listening attentively, the person had moved close enough for him to tell that they were wearing high heels. Relaxing, he froze when his stomach growled. Damn. He hadn't had a meal in almost three weeks thanks to the fact that he had to travel discreetly. Waiting for the clicking of high heels to dissipate, he reached into a pocket to pull out a syringe.

Thankfully, he had managed to get some information out of Dr Kanou before his inevitable end at the hands of Kaneki. According to him(and most sources), ghouls were different as their bodies were modified to prevent any nutrients from being absorbed but RC cells. Hence, his tongue and digestive system were largely different from those of a human. So, he had fashioned a drug(kudos to Kanou for laying the groundwork) that would act like an RC suppressant. There was one main difference though, it being that the drug restructured his internal systems to be able to draw RC cells from human food. There were small, almost insignificant bits of RC cells that could be found in regular food(hence why humans possessed them) and the drug allowed him to safely consume such food for a period of about three to four hours. It was slowly killing him(like everything else) but it was a last resort for the times he would be unable to hunt. Peeling back his eyelids, he gritted his teeth in preparation.

As usual, such fluids had to be injected via a mucous membrane. He had never gotten used to the sheer agony that came from such injuries. He readied the syringe and with a final mental heave, plunged it into his eye.

Just as the exhausted face of the kendo captain he had beaten to turn the corner and see him in the action.

Oops.

Depressing the plunger as fast as he could, he waited for the telltale burn of the "medicine" flooding through his body before ripping it out and covering Rio's mouth with one hand while dragging her back into the alley. As she squirmed under his grasp, he spoke softly, trying his best to calm the panicked girl down. After murmuring reassuring words till she relaxed, he released her and sat back down, trying his best to not flinch from the dark look that was beamed at him. Pulling out a phone and putting it to her ear, Rio spoke into it(talking about how "she had found him" and that he "should be fine). She agreed on a meeting place he didn't know about before bending down to his level.

"Talk. Now."

He swallowed, cracking a knuckle. The sound was the only one for the next few minutes before he replied in a wavering voice.

"I _can't_."

"You can't or you won't?"

"It's… better if you don't get involved with me."

"This coming from the guy I just saw stab a needle into his eye isn't very reassuring."

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

"That doesn't mean jackshit to people like me Rio-san."

"I've been through more than I care to let on. Try me."

"I refuse."

Choosing to end the conversation right there and then, Kaneki stood up suddenly, startling the girl. She observed him curiously, a mischievous smirk gracing her face. Ignoring the unspoken question still hanging in the air, he waited for her to get up and lead him to the group he had seen round his sister just now. Stubbornly, she stayed on the ground, practically daring him to get angry. Wetting his dry lips, he rolled his eyes and picked her up, eliciting a squeak of surprise. Shifting her over his shoulder, he was trying his best not to be distracted by the silky feel of her clothes or the softness pressing against his head.

"Where to?"

"Jerk. Let me down!"

Dumping her as unceremoniously as he had picked her up(internally pleased at how fast she had relented), he followed behind the blonde girl as she walked away briskly, a red flush coating her face. Shoving his hands back into his pockets, he rubbed his fingers against each other and tilted his head upwards to bask in the sunlight.

It was a beautiful day.

 **Ok. There. Yay. Sorry if this is lacking in quality, but I just finished carrying two group projects while running a fever and I couldn't move my body for a day. Anyways, more character building. I will not half-ass a story that will** _ **definitely**_ **have more romance than my other one. As always, I will not abandon this project(unless I die accidentally, that happens) and will keep going. Never give up! :)**


	6. Start v1

**Hey guys. Thanks for all the support on this story and the other. Now, for some bad news. I'll be taking a **** ton of examinations soon, so I may not be able to update either story. I'll make sure to state it clearly closer to the actual date. On the bright side, it'll give me some time to release some oneshots that I've been writing in my free time. At least those won't need a regular update schedule. So…this chapter will finally show how he got into the beta-test** _ **and**_ **introduce a character from SAO. Here we go.**

 **Zoepeanut: Gd to see that you're following both stories. Yep, I didn't want to make the solution permanent cause, well, that's boring.**

 **hA: Ok…**

 **Anyways, keep reading, hope you guys like the story. Don't want to sound needy, but review pls. Onwards!**

Throughout their journey, Kaneki… No. He should probably start calling himself Kazuto before he slips up. He can't afford to get noticed. He didn't think that the CCG had any Rank 1 investigators(and above) left, but the government had taken extreme measures to get rid of the ghouls. Although he hoped that some had survived, he hadn't been able to see any of them. They were probably in hiding. It would be unfortunate if the Tokyo government found out the ghoul who had led his kind against them(and caused very extensive damage) as he didn't know what they would do. He had to be careful. Glancing back at Rio, he found her giving him a searching look, which Kaneki Kazuto responded to with a mocking glare. It was pure rotten luck that had led her to stumble upon him while he was injecting himself and now his identity was at risk. Although he had tried to take her mind off what she had seen(hence the rather bold actions a few minutes ago), it appeared that she was still suspicious. _Well, if things really go south, I'll just kill her._ He smirked morbidly, resisting the urge to crack a finger, also reminding himself that he had to repair that glove soon.

He fit the damaged glove back on behind his back to avoid the stares aimed at his bare hand(he considered it a small miracle Rio hadn't noticed what they were looking at) and glared back at the perpetrators until they averted their eyes. It didn't hurt that he had perfected a death glare over the years. Unfortunately, it didn't really work on some people. Like Eto. _Another person he failed to save._ Withdrawing his hand from his pocket, he was relieved that he had not torn the glove further than its already tattered state, preventing most of his skin from showing. He was rudely awoken from his thoughts when he slammed head first into another person.

The suppressants working perfectly, he was thrown back by the momentum with a dull pang of pain in his head blossoming. Reflexively breaking his fall and using that force to propel himself back up, he returned to his original casual-looking self, brushing his gloves against each other to try and shake off some of the dirt. Hearing a snicker, he glanced briefly at Rio(who apparently not found it important enough to warn him) to give her a scowl and helped up the person still lying on the floor. Only when the person murmured a soft apology and began to move past him did he really take a look.

It was a woman who looked around his his age, with slightly pale skin( _to be honest, anyone's skin was lightly tanned compared to his own_ ) and her dark hair was in twin-tails, tied neatly with ribbons. What caught his attention were her eyes. She had a cold, almost clinical gaze that made him feel strangely exposed(probably cause he was currently human) and while hidden, it was quite obvious to Kazuto that there was something haunting her. He tried to place the look in her eyes(they seemed familiar) before cracking a knuckle when he realized where he had seen it before. He caught hold of her arm, the momentary pause that she had when the bone-chilling sound echoed being sufficient time for him to move. The woman, now looking irritated, broke his grip and opened her mouth to say something(probably yell at him) when he leaned in and asked in a whisper.

" _So...who did you kill?_ "

The girl paled rapidly, shoving him further away and bolted. Kazuto watched her run as fast as she could away from him, eyes darting from her posture to her physique, before thinking back to the mental picture of her face he had gotten just a few seconds ago. When he had asked her that question, she had a series of reactions. Shock. Anger. Fear. Those were most prominent. But there was one that caused him to pull off his damaged glove and toss it into a nearby bin as he and Rio continued their journey(Rio trying and failing to get an answer out of Kazuto). Deep inside, buried under many layers of frigidity and acting, was the essence of a _cold-blooded murderer_. Wasn't often he saw one. The type to stare down an enemy begging, _pleading_ , for mercy and then extinguish that last spark of hope and watch it without a hint of remorse. He had met a few ghouls like that. The look was most familiar to him, compared to the sadistic glee of Yamori and the hunger of Tsukiyama.

It was the reason he avoided anything that could cast reflections.

But to have found a person like that, a human more so(enhanced senses weren't removed, the nerves having permanently changed), actually _excited_ him. And **Kaneki smiled**.

* * *

Suguha glanced nervously at her phone and back at her distracted friends. She had originally heard that there was going to be some gaming convention at the particular shopping center they were at and was hoping to see if the familiarity of Kazuto's favourite activity(before he disappeared) would trigger some reaction in him. Nothing much seemed to faze him. That included but was not only, a sword slicing his hand to the bone, almost killing his sister(who he hadn't seen for… 10 years) and having to reveal his big secret instead of just, well, quieting her like what he originally planned to do when he was awoken. Unfortunately, the whole incident at the dojo had happened(a baffled Hinami could only shrug when she questioned her) and Suguha had just been notified that Rio-san had found him. Also, confronting him even though she had specifically told them not to. Watching her friends stare at the screen displaying what was going on, she was secretly pleased that the battle royal(in virtual reality) that they were currently watching had taken their minds off the worrying scenario.

Checking her surroundings, she felt a weight in her stomach vanish when the unique, sleek white hair of her brother and the light blond of her kendo captain finally caught her eye. Waving frantically at them to come over, her attention was drawn to the jet black nails of her brother's right hand. Wondering briefly why it wasn't enclosed in the red glove his other hand was in before remembering what he did the night before and mentally berating herself for forgetting that. As they finally arrived at her side, Kazuto softly asked a question after taking a seat.

"What's this?"

Not surprisingly, it was Akari, their gaming fanatic who responded without taking his eyes off the screen. "It's the first truly virtual battle royal. There have been 48 matches before this one. Those had been held over the course of a month, every two days last time I checked. Instead of the typical 100 that the first few famous battle royals had, this one only has fifty players as they were afraid that 100 would fry the servers. The winner of each match will get to participate in the final 50th one. The last one standing would get exclusive prizes, including a NerveGear and the opportunity to beta-test the new, first VRMMORPG in existence. The NerveGear is a work of art…..."

Suguha tuned out the rest of his speech praising whoever had come up with the idea and looked pointedly at Rio-san, pointing to her phone before sending a message to her.

 _ **How'd you find him?**_

 _ **I stumbled onto him.**_

 _ **Was he ok?**_

 _ **He was injecting himself with something through his eye.**_

…

 _ **Anything I need to know?**_

 _ **I don't have any clue what you're talking about. Really.**_

 _ **Ok. Just remember that you can rely on me.**_

 _ **Sure**_

She was forced to look up from her phone when someone nudged her. She met her brother's questioning gaze and gave a sheepish grin. He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing and returned his attention to the screen. She did the same, the siblings standing in silence when the rather anti-climatic end to the 49th battle(the guy tried to do what he had been doing the whole round, hide, and got gunned down when surprised from behind). Amongst the cheers and cries of the crowd around them, she heard her brother mutter a question that caused her to frown in realization.

" _Why are there only 49 battles if the final one needs 50 players?"_

As the 49th winner took off his virtual reality headset to join the 48 players who had just climbed onto the stage, a cheerful looking man(she despised him immediately) got their attention with a loud air horn. When the crowd had settled down, he spoke into a megaphone.

"We welcome the 49th person to be the last one standing! Now, as you may have been wondering, we will select the fiftieth participant. This person will be the one to remain on this stage once we have vacated it. We will wait for 10 minutes. You may do anything to anyone to force them off the stage, but I recommend not injuring anyone too badly. Let the games commence!"

Shocked silence met the man's comment. She watched her friends from the corner of her eye to see them rapidly pale and start inching backwards. Rio-san did the same, minus the fear, though you could see the uneasiness in her eyes. _Who would organize such a twisted plot?_ The last person would be the least experienced, the most likely to die first in the game itself, so who would try to gain that place? _Was this legal?_

As soon as the man and the 49 participants exited the stage, a guy who looked around 16 jumped onto it. He stared down the crowd, as if challenging them to try and take the place from him...only to get pushed off the stage by a guy who had snuck up behind him. Soon enough, there was an all out brawl forming on the stage, people constantly shouting in anger or crying out in pain. Unnerved, Suguha and her friends(plus Rio) shared a look, _should we stop them?_ The answer was quite obviously, no. While they probably would be able to separate the fighters, they would most likely see the group as the bigger threat and get rid of them. Painfully. Praying that no one got hurt too bad(most of those on stage were actually quite weak for their age. Weebs.) Suguha turned to her brother, hoping for some advice.

His eyes were trained on the exit that the winners had made their way through. There was something flickering in his eyes. Gulping as the look in his eyes steadily got darker and more akin to that of what she had seen when he had nearly brained her, she reached a hand out to restrain her friends from stepping near him, whether it be by pure chance or by choice.

He tore his eyepatch off with a savage, jerking motion that left red lines from where the elastic had dug into his skin. Suguha braced herself for the feral, red pulsing eye that would have revealed his true nature and most likely got him killed. Only to find the other identical twin to his original uncovered eye. Trying to conceal the intense relief she felt(but the flickering of the gazes of those who knew her stated otherwise), she reached out to grab him only to get pushed back rather harshly. Stumbling, she braced her hand against a wall as Kazuto strode towards the fight, hands clenching and unclenching. Despite how calm his voice was, it cut through the noise as easily as a hot knife through flesh.

" _Enough."_

The brawl paused as the people in it processed this new development. Kazuto threw back his hands and shouted, "What makes you think any of this is a good idea? What makes you think that fighting over something as silly as a place in a _game_ is worth it? Do you realize what you're doing? **Do you?** " The fighters untangled from each other, slowly forming a line on the stage in front of Kazuto. Several different people yelled at once, "You don't deserve to tell us what to do!" "We choose what we can do!" "Shut up or we'll put you down!"

A quiet chuckle quickly dimmed the array of voices which had risen up when he had finished speaking. The chuckle became harsh laughter, then loud cackling. When he regained his composure, he tilted his head and popped a knuckle. Shifting into a loose, relaxed stance(yet she could see the tension in his muscles, he was ready to fight, he shouldn't be-), he beckoned the horde, a mocking smile on his face.

The crowd was brimming with tension, anything would be able to set it off. Everyone knew it, everyone could tell that it wouldn't be the pathetic fights on stage, there would be **no punches pulled**. Suguha tried to quickly usher her friends out, only to find the exits locked. They pressed their backs against the walls, huddled together, hoping there was strength in numbers in case the fights that were about to happen got near. Suguha mouthed a silent prayer, hoping that her brother wouldn't do what she thought that he would.

Naturally, that was what happened.

All the group needed was a reason to act. A catalyst.

And two middle fingers were more than enough to set it off.

 **And that's the end of this chapter. Now, as I've said above, I'll be unable to write my two major stories. I'll put one more chapter into Monsters? No, Humans(at least partly) and start posting my oneshots after that. Now, these will probably be more frequent or less, depending on how much time I can set aside. You'll know when my regular update schedule comes back, which is with the next chapter of Identities. Goodbye!**


	7. Rage v1

**I'm back! Sorry that I've been away for so long… I was going to start writing after my exams but family stuff came up and I didn't get a chance to stop and write. This chapter was created in bits and pieces, so sorry if it seems awkward. I'll be going back to my regular update schedule and will stick to it. Promise. Well, it's been a while…**

 **Zoepeanut: Thanks(My thoughts exactly).**

 **Guest: Here's your wish!**

 **Flo463: Yeah, the Kirito x Suguha pairing feels more sincere to me than Kirito x Asuna(probably because of the sheer number of timeskips in the anime) and its nice to see her happy.**

 **Edelhart: Amen to that.**

 **Katula456: Aw Shucks. Thanks.**

 **Onwards with the story!**

So...He had just gotten himself into quite a situation. Angry teenagers(and some adults) were trying to beat him up because he had pissed them off. Why did Kaneki enrage them? He was so very tired of human nature. Very, very tired. Humans(ghouls, half-ghouls) had only one desire in life, which was to be the best. To satisfy their own personal desires even if it meant sacrificing people, things, like pawns. It was an unspoken rule to never speak of human nature. Those who did, philosophers or otherwise would always be turned on. Family, friend, it didn't matter. Kaneki looked calm, a far cry from his incensed expression just minutes before the crowd had turned on him. Underneath that blank mask, was however, a numbing rage. He had felt explosive anger, destroying anything and everything, he had felt ice-cold fury, concentrated and more terrifying than anything others could hurl at him, able to cut through _anything_. This was more of a combination of both. Kaneki had to suppress it however.

Anger had taken everything from him.

These people, no matter how rotten they may be, didn't deserve to have the same done to them.

The injection had turned him human(briefly). He no longer had enhanced strength, speed, reactions or kagune. Any injuries sustained would **hurt**. No more steel skin meant that he was more prone to getting injured. Above all, he was now _fragile_. Against all these people, he would only last a few seconds if he chose to fight them head on. Escaping would just prolong his suffering(and might cause Suguha and her classmates to get hurt). So, to come to the conclusion his inner Touka had been screaming since the start, _he was totally and utterly screwed_. And yet, he smirked.

 **That never stopped him before.**

So as he started running, his demeanor shifted. The kind Kazuto and smiling saint he had pretended to be was discarded for someone more suitable for the current situation. Somehow, the horde had detected this change, for he saw them pause for a split second before continuing their run. This person, this monster they were facing? He was the same one that had taken down The Owl with a quinque and split the ghoul hiding within.

This was the **Black Reaper**.

* * *

As impossible as it sounded, Suguha realized that Kazuto whatever her brother had become, it was dealing with the rough count of 50-ish people without harming them. It reminded her of a dancer, whirling gracefully and effortlessly. It reminded her of expert kendo players, moving precisely and striking to end the fight immediately. Most of all, it reminded her of the person she had seen in the clips she had found online when looking for the identity her brother had assumed. The half-ghoul that had turned armies around at the mere sight of him. Once pacifistic in nature and refusing to harm anyone, that boy had died to make way for a tyrant who assumed the title of King. For the first time, she could see that the monster in her mind's eye that she had refused to imagine her brother as had melded smoothly with the tactician beating back people using hit-and-run techniques with a bored expression.

"Sugu...what is your brother?" Looking at her friends' scared expressions, she felt a twinge of regret in her for dragging them into this.

"I don't know."

* * *

Well.

He was actually pretty bored. And tired. Did he mention that he was tired?

The Black Reaper was the persona that cut through everything with any and all means of doing so. While laughing maniacally and eating the people he was killing. However, in order to save the trouble of several, several lawsuits(and the death sentences) and not to traumatize the innocent people watching/attacking him, he had to limit himself, which irritated him greatly. They were kind of weak, so he didn't hold anything against them. Well, if he only learned one thing and one thing only, it was that being a human after living as a ghoul for so long _sucked_. He had lost count of the number of times he had tried a move that was well within the limits of ghoul strength, but caused him to get hit several times when he stumbled. Damn it. Kicking away an overweight teenager, he checked his watch, noting with some relief that there was only about a minute left before the "competition" was over. Gods, when that _stupid_ announcer came back, he would sock him in the face for his own troubles. Panting slightly, he kicked off a wall to avoid several outreached hands and started making his way towards the stage. He would have to time this perfectly so that he would be the only one left on that stage when the clock reached zero. Casting a glance, he found, to his surprise, only three people on the stage.

One was unconscious, one was sitting with her legs hanging off the side of the stage and the third seemed to be considering pushing her off. Well, he had work to do. Running past the stage, he gripped the unconscious man by his legs and apologizing briefly, swung him in a circle, hearing cries of alarm and pain as the man's skull impacted heavily. Tossing him into the middle of the crowd, he darted back just in time for the third to push the girl off the stage. Before the girl fell, Kaneki grabbed the third guy and threw him off and into the face of a woman with way toooooo much makeup. The girl seemed shocked by the drop(no matter how slight it was) and thus served no purpose. Checking his watch again, he noticed that there were only two seconds left. Sigh. Finally.

Pulling himself up with the stage, he propelled himself onto it and dropped into a roll to soften the impact. Then, a buzzer went off. Gaudy music and fanfare started playing, which made Kaneki really annoyed. Silently forcing the Black Reaper back into his subconscious, he glowered at the announcer, tuning out his congratulations. Grabbing the man by his collar, Kaneki growled. _Let's get this over with._ Seemingly understanding him, the announcer wordlessly gestured to the pods located around the place, of which only one was open. Turning his back on the announcer, he met Suguha's gaze and smiled slightly. She shrugged her shoulders and gestured to the pod. Nodding, he turned back to the announcer and upon getting a questioning look, decked him across the face.

"If I ever see you again, you'll have more than your face to worry about."

Ignoring the blood splatter and pained cries, Kaneki lowered himself into the pod, numbly reminded of a coffin. It closed with a hiss of cold air and a headset lowered itself onto him.

 **[Neural Interface Online]**

 **[Scanning…]**

 **[Connected]**

 **[Sense Check Initiated]**

 **[Sight Online]**

 **[Smell Online]**

 **[Taste Online]**

 **[Hearing Online]**

 **[Touch Online]**

 **[Senses Connected]**

 **[Scanning…]**

 **[Animus Identified]**

 **[Proceed?]**

 **{Yes} {No}**

 **{Yes}**

 **[FullDive Initiated]**

A blur of colours forced him to shield his eyes before he materialized in a different place. No longer in the pod, he was standing in the middle of an large expanse of different terrains(including but not limited to forests, deserts and tundras). Trying to move, he found himself restrained by an unseen force. Kaneki cursed slightly before looking around. In regular intervals, the other 49 people he had seen earlier were arranged in a rough circle. In the middle of the circle was a large pile of various weapons, both ranged and close-combat based weapons. The weapons were surrounded by stacks of ammunition and equipment. Flicking his eyes experimentally, he found a health bar(reading 100 and marked by a heart) and several slots which read "EMPTY". Underneath the health bar was a grayed out line with the image of a single closed eye marking it. Ignoring the odd symbol, he turned his attention to some loud beeping noise.

Hovering in the air was a large number. As he watched, it ticked down with each second. Now, it was at the number 20. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going to happen. Following what Akari had said earlier and his observations, the 50 participants would have to run to collect weapons as soon as the time ran out and duke it out to possess weapons in order to slaughter the rest. Disgusting, but simple and efficient. He guessed that some would take off into the surroundings(because that weapon pile couldn't be the only one there was) and survive by scavenging and trickery. The vast majority would go for the immediate weaponry of course(go big or go home. Heh) and he could understand that(he could see several ridiculous weapons, one of which looked like an energy based rocket launcher and another a really small gatling gun). No matter. He would just have to forsake the weapons and map out the terrain. Turning his attention to the player next to him, he was given a cold stare by the girl that had run away from him earlier. _There_ was his main reasons for joining. Call it a whim on his part, but Kaneki knew that she was interesting. Shifting his gaze with a smirk, he was just in time to see the clock turn to zero. Announced by a large airhorn, the restraints were removed and Kaneki turned to run into the forested areas when something caught his eye.

Nononononononnono. No. NO. It couldn't be.

 _Darn it. Now I have to get that._

Kaneki twisted and ran towards the center of the circle, already lagging behind.

Because lying innocently at the edge of the pile was a neatly folded black suit lying on top of a briefcase. And on that suit was of course, his identity. A black, half mask with a toothy grin.

Damn it. He ran, already regretting his choice. If everything had been set to default(human), he wouldn't have the superior strength or speed he normally had. Then again, he could see an overweight teenager clearly panting with exertion, stopping in time to be brained by a frying pan across the back of his head. Grimacing at the blood spray, he felt something click as he kept running. Eyes flickering back to that odd bar under his health bar, he saw that the bar was starting to fill with a dull red and the eye had opened. The sight of it caused him to grin as his legs blurred and his speed kicked up several notches, easily overtaking many competitors to grasp the mask, bodysuit and briefcase. Already feeling his instincts screaming as several projectiles and people whizzed towards him, he pulled the mask on and inhaled the familiar smell of leather. His expression matching the toothy grin his mask had, he drew out his quinque and allowed it to emerge as its regular, terrifying self. He sliced the projectiles and met the gaze of his soon-to-be attackers, stopping them in their tracks as another persona overtook him.

There were many, yes, there were many. He was once again faced with bad odds as a result of bad choices and this time, they had weapons. While the Black Reaper might have been suited for this confrontation, he needed to send a _message_. One that would be heard loud and clear by everyone watching and fighting him. Kaneki Ken was **not** the guy you wanted to be fighting.

For a brief second, as the bar only seen by him filled fully, both the eye and his own flared black and red. A prickling sensation flooded his senses as something hard and brittle formed on his face, with a curving beak that reminded him, when he had last seen himself in that form, of a plague doctor. Which was, to be honest, strangely fitting.

For wherever the **Centipede** went, death and destruction lay in its wake.

 **Sorry for the long wait. There was some complications(and I've been suffering from a severe combination of anxiety and writer's block). XD. I know this chapter was short and may be a little disappointing because of the long wait, but I felt like ending it here because it felt...right? I guess? Welp, see you guys two weeks from now(unless I'm on holiday. Then I'll send notifications. Thanks for all the support while I was gone!**

 **Update: I'm going on holiday at the end of next week. I will probably still be able to get the chapter posted, but no promises it'll be right on time.**


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